Saints or Seahawks? NFL bloggers debate who will cover Monday night

Two of the NFC’s heavyweights trade blows on Monday Night Football when the New Orleans Saints head west to take on the Seattle Seahawks at infamous CenturyLink Field in Week 13.

In order to get the best inside edge on this monster Monday matchup, we’ve enlisted the help of those who know these teams the best. Expert NFL bloggers Andrew Juge of New Orleans blog “Saints Nation” and Robert Davies of Seattle blog “Field Gulls” strap on the pads and go head-to-head over which team – Saints or Seahawks - not only wins but covers the spread Monday night.

Much is made about how the Saints don't play well away from the Superdome, and while they may not be as dominant, they are still very good. They are 24-13 on the road since 2006, which is best in the NFL.

If there's any team in the NFL you can count on to play well away from home, it's the Saints. So Sean Payton gets his team ready for road games as well as anyone. Drew Brees is also 11-2 on Monday Night Football as a Saint.

Seattle’s post-bye blues

As good as Seattle has been, it has lost two straight and five of its last six after the bye week. One is left to wonder if they do a poor job of preparing during their time off. By comparison, the Saints are on a five-game win streak coming off their bye week.

While the Saints weren't on a bye week prior to this game, they did play on Thursday night so they will have a full 11 days to prepare. Give Sean Payton time to prepare his gameplan and his superiority is even more pronounced on gameday.Sweet revenge

Russell Wilson’s undefeated home record is well documented but all good things must come to an end. He's going up against a quarterback that is much more experienced on the big stage, as evidenced by his 11-2 MNF record. The last time the Saints visited Seattle, they lost in the 2010 playoffs and that loss is still fresh on the mind of many Saints players.

The defense was much worse back then and the Saints were physically depleted. They will remember that experience and be looking for revenge. With a Top 2 offense and a Top 5 defense in the NFL this year, the Saints are incredibly balanced and will give the Seahawks their best game.

When favored by six points or less at home during the Russell Wilson era, the Seahawks are a 4-0 ATS and the closest any of their four opponents came was when Minnesota (+4) lost by 10 points in Week 9 last season.

Seattle's available as low as -5.5 - ripe pickings indeed for those who believe in following betting trends, particularly when you're on a home team that last lost at home on December 24, 2011, and a quarterback who has no idea what it is to taste defeat in front of his own fans.

The great outdoors

New Orleans is giving up an average of 111.9 rushing yards per game but that number jumps up to 148.2 yards per game when the Saints hit the road. Now, they face a Seattle rushing attack averaging 147.9 yards per game on the ground.

If the Saints only had Marshawn Lynch to contend with, then maybe facing the Seahawks in the elements would appear a little less daunting. Unfortunately for them, Russell Wilson is at his most dangerous when flushed out of the pocket as his ability to keep plays alive with his feet presents opposing defenses with a two headed monster. Lynch can control the clock, Wilson the open field.

Still a solid secondary

With Drew Brees and the Saints' vaunted passing attack coming to town, this looks to be no time to be without both Brandon Browner and Walter Thurmond, Browner's immediate replacement. However, Seattle's secondary runs deep and the underrated Byron Maxwell and Jeremy Lane are able to step up seamlessly.

This Seahawks team, and particularly its defense, possesses an enviable chemistry. New Orleans should be warned against believing that Seattle will be rocked by news of suspensions, both looming and real. The Saints may be confident, but these are the most resilient Seahawks I've ever seen and that, allied to a roster bathing in talent, not to mention the mayhem created by the 12th Man, adds up to Seattle winning by at least six.

Join the debate. Who covers Monday night: Saints or Seahawks?

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mvizzini503 calls this a "trap game" for Seattle. Are you on glue? Why would they ever overlook this New Orleans team? A team they know will jump ahead in the seeding if they lose? Your "logic", if you can call it that, is flawed.

Seattle plays three divisional games out the next four, including @ San Fran next week FYI. Not saying they're looking ahead, I'm saying I like the points here. Seattle is mismatched heavily this week against the Saints passing attack, given that they're missing Thurmond and Browner. I think the Saints will be more prepared for this game considering the leverage a victory here will give them. Seattle has not played a team that is in the Top 5 in NFL in both Total Offense and Total Defense. This is by far the best offense they've seen, and Seattle has played seven games against under 500 teams. Payton knows Seattle was on a bye and watching them play Atlanta last week, evidnet by the fact they barley scratched the play book and looked highly uninterested in that game. Brees attempted 33 passes, the lowest total all year, against a Falcons team ranks 26th in passing defense.

Looks like we've got some heavy opinions here. Where's the facts? Let's consider a few.
Seattle has a huge advantage hosting a December game against a warm climate team, let alone a warm climate team that plays in a dome. That being said, the team they host is New Orleans. They are unsuspectingly powerful, also have speed and finesse, and can score on anyone, including Seattle's D and the 12th man. Revenge is huge here, considering home-field advantage for the playoffs is in the balance for both teams. And considering a possible playoff match-up is being previewed here tonight, we have to consider this a must win for New Orleans in that respect. I can guarantee Sean Payton thinks that way and will have his team prepared with the same attitude and and belief. No way the Saints want to play on the road in Seattle in January. On paper, I would give these teams a pick em line on neutral field. Put this game on Monday night, in Seattle, in December, you give three to the Saints. Mix in Weather against game philosophies for both teams, you give Seattle one more point.
I see this game at -4 for Seattle. Think it's trap for Seattle anyway, so I like Saints ML let alone +4, so I'll take the points. Give me another point for good measure (because that's where my book has it), and I feel extremely confident in the road dog Saints at +5.5.
Saints +5.5 All Day!!

Looks like we've got some heavy opinions here. Where's the facts? Let's consider a few.
Seattle has a huge advantage hosting a December game against a warm climate team, let alone a warm climate team that plays in a dome. That being said, the team they host is New Orleans. They are unsuspectingly powerful, also have speed and finesse, and can score on anyone, including Seattle's D and the 12th man. Revenge is huge here, considering home-field advantage for the playoffs is in the balance for both teams. And considering a possible playoff match-up is being previewed here tonight, we have to consider this a must win for New Orleans in that respect. I can guarantee Sean Payton thinks that way and will have his team prepared with the same attitude and and belief. No way the Saints want to play on the road in Seattle in January. On paper, I would give these teams a pick em line on neutral field. Put this game on Monday night, in Seattle, in December, you give three to the Saints. Mix in Weather against game philosophies for both teams, you give Seattle one more point.
I see this game at -4 for Seattle. Think it's trap for Seattle anyway, so I like Saints ML let alone +4, so I'll take the points. Give me another point for good measure (because that's where my book has it), and I feel extremely confident in the road dog Saints at +5.5.
Saints +5.5 All Day!!

What you see is what you get each year from Pittsburgh, which builds through the draft, doesn’t sign a lot of free agents and basically comes at you. How much Ben Roethlisberger has left is a question asked every September given the number of hits he takes. The biggest change will be at defensive coordinator, where legend Dick Lebeau is gone – which may mean the LBs will be freer to attack the pocket.

The Vikes have Adrian Peterson back and things seem to have calmed down a bit in Minnesota. But then again, Mike Wallace has been on board for only a few months. Vikes are looking for a huge Year 2 improvement from Teddy Bridgewater and if they get it they can make things sticky in the North.

In 2014/15 the Steelers were 1-3 SU/ATS in the preseason and in 2013/14 they were 0-4 SU/ATS. After missing the playoffs in 2013/14, Pittsburgh returned last year only to lose 30-17 to the Ravens in the Wildcard round. Mike Tomlin has clearly not been very worried about winning in the preseason the last few years.

Last year the Vikes went 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS in the preseason, after going 1-3 SU/ATS in 2013/14 and 1-3 SU/ATS in 2012/13. For a team which is desperately trying to get back to the playoffs, the preseason suddenly becomes a lot more important.

There are many players on Minnesota which have something to prove, while Pittsburgh will surely be happy to just go through the motions and leave Canton without any significant injuries.

Minnesota would seem to be the more motivated team in this one, consider laying the short points.

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